- Identity Check: Which CFTe This Sheet Covers
- The Two-Level Structure at a Glance
- Level I Quick Facts
- Level II Quick Facts
- The Cost Math in One Table
- Level I Reading Groups: Ten Blocks to Know
- Level II Reading Groups: Thirteen Blocks to Know
- Concepts Worth Memorizing Cold
- What Is Not Published (and How to Handle It)
- A Reading-Order Plan Built on the Syllabus
- FAQ
- CFTe means Certified Financial Technician, awarded by IFTA; the ordinary route requires passing both Level I and Level II.
- Level I is 120 four-option multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes at Pearson VUE centers.
- Level II is a Zoom-proctored chart analysis and written report, not multiple choice.
- The syllabus (updated May 7, 2026) groups into 23 reading blocks, which are editorial groupings, not official weighted domains.
Identity Check: Which CFTe This Sheet Covers
Several credentials share the acronym, so start here. This cheat sheet covers the Certified Financial Technician, the technical analysis credential run by the International Federation of Technical Analysts (IFTA). If you want the plain-language background first, see What Is CFTe Certification? or What Does CFTe Stand For?. Everything below concerns chart-based market analysis: trends, candlesticks, point and figure, Elliott Wave, Ichimoku, market profile, and professional standards.
This page is a compressed reference. For deeper treatment of any item, the companion articles are linked where relevant, and the main CFTe practice test site is the place to drill questions.
The Two-Level Structure at a Glance
The ordinary CFTe award requires both Level I and Level II. Treat them as two different exams with different formats, different delivery, and different fees. A common mistake is reading a Level I number (such as the 120-question count) as if it described the whole credential. It does not.
| Item | Level I | Level II |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 120 four-option, single-answer multiple-choice questions | Constructed chart analysis and written report |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE centers, with Strasz Assessment Systems coordination | IFTA-administered Zoom remote examination |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes | No invariant current duration verified; the April 11, 2024 example paper ran 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing marks | Member societies SAMT and VTAD state 74/120 | The April 11, 2024 example paper used 65/100 (historical, not reconfirmed as a 2026 specification) |
| Frequency | Year-round | Normally April and October |
Level I Quick Facts
- Questions: 120, four options each, one correct answer.
- Time: 2 hours 30 minutes, which works out to roughly 75 seconds per question on average. Budget accordingly.
- Where: Pearson VUE centers; Strasz Assessment Systems coordinates.
- Fee: US$550 for colleagues of member societies, US$850 for non-members.
- Pass mark: SAMT and VTAD state 74 out of 120. That is the figure published by those member societies; confirm the standard that applies to your sitting.
- Availability: Year-round, so you can schedule around your readiness rather than a fixed window.
- Practice material: The official Level I mock contains 60 items and is dated September 27, 2015. It is useful for format familiarity, but its age means you should not treat it as a guide to current emphasis.
Level II Quick Facts
- Format: Constructed chart analysis and a written report. You produce analysis rather than selecting an option.
- Delivery: IFTA-administered Zoom remote examination, with a proctor.
- Fees: US$850 member / US$1,150 non-member, plus a US$100 proctor fee. A US$250 translation charge applies except for English and German.
- Windows: Normally April and October.
- October 2026 conflict: The main IFTA page lists October 22, while the FAQ lists October 20. Both give a September 10 deadline. Rely on your individual confirmation, not either public page.
- Question count: No invariant current question count was verified.
Key Takeaway
Because Level II is written analysis, memorizing definitions is not enough. You must be able to apply a method to an unfamiliar chart and defend your reading in prose. Our CFTe difficulty guide discusses why candidates find this transition demanding.
The Cost Math in One Table
These totals are calculated from the published base fees plus the Level II proctor fee, before any other costs (retakes, study materials, travel, translation, or membership dues).
| Component | Member-society | Non-member |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | US$550 | US$850 |
| Level II | US$850 | US$1,150 |
| Level II proctor fee | US$100 | US$100 |
| Calculated two-level total | US$1,500 | US$2,100 |
Add US$250 if you sit Level II in a language other than English or German. Membership is optional for eligibility, but the fee schedule rewards it. The full breakdown, with scenarios, is in CFTe Certification Cost 2026.
Level I Reading Groups: Ten Blocks to Know
IFTA does not publish a weighted domain taxonomy. The 23 headings used here group the mandatory reading assignments in the current syllabus (updated May 7, 2026): six Level I core readings plus four required appendices, and thirteen Level II core readings. They are editorial labels. No official largest-weight area can be stated, so do not skip a block on the assumption that it is "light." The complete domains guide expands each one.
Domains 1-3: The Foundational Texts
Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets, and Technical Analysis Explained form the conceptual backbone of Level I, each with specified core chapters.
- Trend definition, support and resistance, and chart patterns
- Volume and the relationship between price and participation
- Moving averages and oscillator interpretation
- Reading the specified chapters, not the whole books, as the syllabus assigns
Domain 4: Technical Traders Guide to Computer Analysis of the Futures Market
Specified core chapters on indicator construction and systematic, computer-based analysis. Expect to understand how indicators are calculated and what their inputs mean, not just how they look on a chart.
Domain 5: Candlestick Charting Techniques
Specified core chapters on Japanese candlestick construction and pattern recognition.
- Anatomy of a candle: body, shadows, and what they signal
- Reversal versus continuation patterns
- Confirmation and context before acting on a pattern
Domains 6 and 10: Point and Figure
The Definitive Guide to Point and Figure (core chapters) plus required Appendix D, Point and Figure Techniques. Point and figure appears at both levels, so invest early.
- Box size and reversal criteria
- Column construction and pattern identification
- Price objectives derived from the chart
Domains 7-9: Appendices on Elliott Wave, Breadth, and Cycles
Required Appendix A (Elliott Wave Theory), Appendix B (Breadth Indicators), and Appendix C (Time Cycles Analysis, plus an assigned Murphy reading).
- Basic wave labeling and the rules that constrain it
- Breadth as a measure of market participation
- Cycle concepts and timing
Level II Reading Groups: Thirteen Blocks to Know
Level II revisits several Level I authors at greater depth and adds new ones. The jump is in application: you will analyze and write, so the blocks below should be treated as methods to practice, not texts to summarize.
| Domain | Reading group | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Technical Analysis of Stock Trends | Core reading |
| 12 | Technical Analysis Explained | Specified core chapters |
| 13 | Technical Traders Guide to Computer Analysis of the Futures Market | Specified core chapters |
| 14 | Beyond Candlesticks | Specified core chapters |
| 15 | The Definitive Guide to Point and Figure | Specified core chapters |
| 16 | Primer on Ichimoku | Required Appendix E |
| 17 | Steidlmayer on Markets | Specified core chapters |
| 18 | Elliott Wave Principle | Specified core chapters |
| 19 | Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Markets Technicians | Specified core chapters |
| 20 | Technical Analysis for the Trading Professional | Specified core chapters |
| 21 | Street Smarts: High Probability Short Term Strategies | Core reading |
| 22 | IFTA Ethical and Professional Standards | Required Appendix F |
| 23 | Basic Statistics for Quantitative Analysis | Required Appendix G |
Concepts Worth Memorizing Cold
The assigned readings point to a set of topics you should be able to explain and apply without notes. Use this as a recall checklist, not as a substitute for the chapters themselves.
Charting methods
- Candlestick anatomy and the logic behind reversal patterns (Domains 5 and 14)
- Point and figure construction, box size, reversals, and price objectives (Domains 6, 10, and 15)
- Ichimoku components and how they combine into a single read of trend and momentum (Domain 16)
- Market profile and auction-market logic from Steidlmayer (Domain 17)
Wave, cycle, and breadth analysis
- Elliott Wave counting rules and the guidelines versus the rules (Domains 7 and 18)
- Breadth indicators and what divergences imply about participation (Domain 8)
- Time cycle concepts (Domain 9)
Quantitative and professional footing
- Core statistical ideas from the Basic Statistics appendix (Domain 23)
- The IFTA ethical and professional standards (Domain 22)
- Short-term, high-probability strategy construction from Street Smarts (Domain 21)
What Is Not Published (and How to Handle It)
A good cheat sheet is honest about gaps. Based on the issuer materials reviewed, the following are not established, so verify them with IFTA or your testing provider before relying on them:
- Book and calculator permissions: not verified for either level.
- Domain weights: no official weighted taxonomy exists in the reviewed materials.
- Renewal, expiration, and continuing education: no ordinary requirement was established. Do not infer lifetime status, and do not apply legacy exemption wording universally.
- Pass rate: IFTA's FAQ gives a general 60-70% range that varies by year and is not a 2026 or level-specific cohort rate. Read the caveats in CFTe Pass Rate 2026.
- Eligibility: no ordinary-route mandatory degree, experience minimum, references, or training hours are published. Suggested study periods are guidance, not prerequisites. See CFTe Requirements 2026.
A Reading-Order Plan Built on the Syllabus
This is the only study-method section in the article, and it is tied to the syllabus structure rather than generic habits. The logic: learn core Level I texts first, because Level II re-uses their authors at greater depth; schedule point and figure early because it appears at both levels; and place the short appendices on a fixed calendar so they are not squeezed out. Adjust the pacing to your own timeline. The CFTe study guide covers pacing in more detail.
Level I Foundations
- Domains 1-3: the three core technical analysis texts
- Domain 4: indicator construction and computer analysis
Chart Methods Shared Across Levels
- Domain 5 (candlesticks), then Domains 6 and 10 (point and figure)
- Take the official 60-item mock for format familiarity only
Level I Appendices, Then Sit Level I
- Domains 7-9: Elliott Wave, breadth, and cycles
- Level I is year-round, so schedule when your practice scores are consistently comfortable against the 74/120 reference
Level II Method Texts
- Domains 11-15 and 17-18: deeper application of familiar authors plus market profile and Elliott Wave Principle
- Domain 16: Ichimoku appendix
Level II Professional and Quantitative Layers
- Domains 19-21: the two professional-grade references and the short-term strategy text
- Domains 22-23: ethics and statistics appendices, then timed chart-and-report practice
Work backward from your target Level II window (normally April or October) and the registration deadline; the exam dates article explains how to track both. Use the practice question bank to test recall after each block.
FAQ
Yes. The ordinary CFTe award requires both Level I and Level II. The Level I figures (120 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes) describe only the first exam, not the whole credential.
Calculated from published base fees plus the Level II proctor fee, the total is US$1,500 for member-society colleagues and US$2,100 for non-members, before other costs such as the US$250 translation charge (for languages other than English or German), retakes, or study materials.
No. They are editorial reading groups drawn from the mandatory assignments in the IFTA syllabus updated May 7, 2026: six Level I core readings plus four required appendices, and thirteen Level II core readings. No official weighted domain taxonomy was verified, so no largest-weight area can be stated.
IFTA's own pages conflict: the main page lists October 22 and the FAQ lists October 20, both with a September 10 deadline. Rely on the date in your individual confirmation and check with IFTA if anything is unclear.
No ordinary expiration, renewal fee, or continuing education requirement was established in the reviewed issuer materials. That is not the same as confirming lifetime status, so verify directly with IFTA if this matters to your plans. For career context, see whether the CFTe is worth it.